Lecture 1 - Introduction

The Social Brain: Critical Perspectives on Science, Society and Neurodiversity

Richard Ramsey

Today


Part 1

  • Introduction to the course


Part 2

  • Read articles and discuss



Part 1 - Introduction

Who will be teaching?


  • Dr. Richard Ramsey
  • Please just call me Rich
  • I’m originally from Leeds (UK)
  • BSc. and PhD (University of Birmingham, UK)
  • Postdoctoral work (UK and Belgium)
  • Since 2011, I’ve co-directed a cognitive neuroscience lab as a faculty member at Bangor University (UK) and Macquarie University (Australia)
  • I’ve been at ETH since 2023

What are my lab’s research interests?

Themes

  • Social Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Person percetion
  • Loneliness
  • Meta science
  • Open science

www.rich-ramsey.com

Methods

  • Experimental psychology
  • Human neuroscience (e.g., fMRI)
  • “Big Data”
  • Computational modelling

Course website

Contact details


  • Speak to me in class - this is the best place to raise questions and discuss ideas.


  • Email: richard.ramsey [at] hest.ethz.ch

Notes on lectures



  • Slides will be posted on the course website before each lecture.


  • Most important of all: if you don’t understand something, then PLEASE interrupt me and ask a question. No doubt other students in the class are stuck with the same issue.


Part 1 - Syllabus

Course content

Themes

  • Research quality and integrity

  • Social neuroscience

  • Neurodiversity

Skills

  • Critical evaluation of scientific evidence, data and theory
  • Develop independent thinking skills
  • Appreciate how understandign neurodviersity impacts basic research and society in general

Learning Outcomes

  • To examine critically how neuroscientific concepts, theories, and findings relate to broader historical, moral, and social contexts, enhancing reflective competencies.


  • To question the production and validation of scientific evidence within the context of the replication crisis, enabling students to evaluate how knowledge is created, validated, and communicated.


  • To understand how conceptualising cognitive variation as a natural continuum challenges deficit-focused models, promoting more inclusive frameworks for society.


  • To develop effective communication skills for translating complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences, fostering public understanding of science.

Format

  • Lectures will be split into two sections with a short break in the middle.


  • I will present material in the first half.


  • In the second half, students will break into small groups and have time to read and discuss relevant papers from that week’s material.



 

Small group work

  • Students have the opportunity to discuss any questions arising from the previous lecture, as well as coursework.

  • A journal article will be provided from the previous lecture as a starting point for this discussion.

  • Group discussion sessions are an excellent way to clarify understanding and develop ideas for your assignment.

Schedule


Week

Date

Title

Description

1

Sep 16

Intro

Introduction to the course

2

Sep 23

Crisis Part 1

Is psychological science in a crisis?

3

Sep 30

Crisis Part 2

The reform movement in psychological science

4

Oct 7

No lecture

5

Oct 14

Crisis Part 3

Are there problems in psychological theory?

6

Oct 21

Crisis Part 4

Does the crisis extend beyond psychology?

7

Oct 28

Social Neuroscience 1

Core foundations

8

Nov 4

Social Neuroscience 2

Current applications

9

Nov 11

Neurodiversity 1

Re-thinking neurodiversity

10

Nov 18

Neurodiversity 2

Guest lecture: A view from the clinic

11

Nov 25

Neurodiversity 3

Loneliness

12

Dec 2

Neurodiversity 4

Autism

13

Dec 9

Neurodiversity 5

Attention and Impulsivity

14

Dec 16

Essay Writing

Guidelines and best practices

Topics

  • Introduction
  • Crisis and reform
  • Social neuroscience
  • Neurodiversity
  • Essay writing Q&A

Part 1 - Assessment

Assessment type

  • There is one piece of assessment in this course, which is a written assignment in essay format.

  • 2000 words maximum.

  • Submission date: Monday January 6th, 2026.

  • There is NO exam

Assessment format

You can write your essay in two different ways.

1. Address a general question.

e.g., Is psychology a science or a pseudoscience?

2. Address a more specific question.

e.g., Should Autism be considered one diagnosis or multiple different diagnoses?

Part 1 - Writing tips

Narrow focus

  • Your essay should have a narrow focus, I do not want a detailed literature review.

  • You are not being assessed on the breadth of your knowledge. Therefore, I will not mark you down for having a narrow focus.

  • However, I expect a very clear and well-supported rationale for your critical viewpoint and future direction.

  • I will reward attempts to think on your own

Keep it simple !!!

  • Find an experiment or topic from my lectures that interests you
  • Go away and read around the topic
  • Think of a feature that limits understanding – i.e., be critical – and suggest a way to extend current knowledge

Plan, plan and plan some more

  • Plan your written assignment BEFORE you start to write. You will find it easier to write if you organise your ideas first into a structure.

  • Consider the balance of your assignment, in terms of the amount of text per section.

  • Make multiple plans, rather than one. One page A4 per plan.

  • Review the plans and consider revision and/or consolidation.

Writing style

  • Clarity is crucial
  • If you can say it with less words, do so (i.e., keep sentences short).
  • Try to link paragraphs to promote the flow and pace of your writing
  • Have a friend or classmate read it

Part 1 - Summary

  • Introduction
  • Syllabus
  • Assessment
  • Writing tips

Take a break

Part 2 - Read articles and discuss

Discussion material

  • Here are some accessible (i.e., non-technical) blog posts that cover the main themes in the course.
  • Read these to kick-start a discussion in your group.


ETH Zürich | 376-1309-00 | The Social Brain